Dunerunner
by AlphaWings
Summary: Nadi is a Dunerunner, an elite underworld courier of the Outer Rim world of Tatooine. No job is too dangerous, no stakes are too high. But when her cargo is more than even she bargained for, can she finish the job as the most dangerous forces in the galaxy attempt to stop her? Note: Original characters, not based on any particular movie/book/show/game. Old Republic Era.
1. Drek

Drek hated Cantinas. He loved tending to the bar, and most of all; money. The rest of it irritated him to no end. From the obnoxious patrons to the putrid smog that permeated the air. Smog wasn't quite the right term, but he wasn't sure what else to call it. It was a swirling mix of the inhalants various species enjoyed, some of it more than toxic, only made more pungent by their collective filth.

Tending bar in Tatooine was a different experience than he had expected. From Nar Shaddaa to Coruscant, Drek had bounced and poured drinks for the most dangerous of criminals and most prestigious of public officials, whispering their dealings beneath hooded faces. Drek presumed no smaller amount of crime was dealt under the stone tables here, but it would be hard to spot as this was both the loudest and most crowded establishment he had ever been in.

Every Cantina had some sort of music as an ambient backdrop to the dull clamor of voices, typically some underpaid second-rate band. Here, however, the crowd made such a din, that the group of little Oortolans, but were barely audible over the roar of the patrons; despite their best efforts. The assorted species were all milling about, drunkenly laughing and shouting, many of them far beyond what could be considered 'safe'.

Normally, Drek would have thrown half of them out by this point, but this Cantina had special rules. He had only met his proprietor once, and was happy to keep it that way. The man was human, short, with a pointed nose and cleanly slicked hair. He had questioned the rules that day, and had one of the spurs on his left jaw cut from his face in reward. He never saw the blade, and he barely saw the man move. Drek was big, even for a Weequay, but that human terrified him. He still absently scratched at it, a reminder to keep his mouth shut. In his opinion, he was lucky to get a warning, and was fairly certain there would not be another.

The first rule was 'Louder is better'. Catinas always had eyes in them, and Drek's best guess was additional chaos made it difficult to report and any of the establishment's goings on. Therefore, any patron adding to the ruckus was welcome. Drek was only allowed to intervene if fights broke out.

"Water."

Drek looked up from the glass he was polishing. Like the eye of a storm, a silent figure sat at the bar, waiting patiently. The second rule was that water was to be served free. Tatooine being what it was, nothing was free, so Drek would have expected a much larger portion of the clientele to take advantage. Very few did; maybe they knew something he didn't.

Taking the glass in hand, he turned to one of the many curled golden spigots spouting from the complicated stills, and placed the small glass in front of the figure before moving down the bar to give them privacy.

He had seen this individual many times, and just like today, they had managed to practically sneak up on him. He briefly stole glances at them as he pretended to care very intently about polishing glasses. The third rule was to never interact with the patrons outside of serving drinks and breaking up fights. No matter how drunk, so long as they were still bellowing and laughing, they were welcome to more. There were however, several regulars like this one. Calm, silent save asking for water, then leaving as quickly as they came. For all of the rules and warnings stating the less he knew the better, he couldn't help his curiosity.

This individual frequented the Cantina every month or so. From what he could tell, they were a human female, but much else escaped him. Every inch of her was covered, excepting her face when she drank. She wore a wide brimmed hat that drooped slightly in the front, secured by a thick strap under her chin. Her goggles and scarf, typically obscuring her eyes and lower face, hung loosely about her neck as she sipped at the water. In that small window, he could tell her skin was a lightly-browned olive. Her eyes were dark, but in the ruddy lighting of the cantina it was hard to say anything other than 'brown' with confidence. The scarf was large, draping over her shoulders, under which she wore a well-fitting jacket. Her hands were gloved, tucking into her cinched sleeves to keep the sand out. Her trousers tucked into flat-soled boots that she was lightly tapping on the floor. Everything she wore was varied shades of brown, likely allowing her to blend with the sand and rocks that made up almost all of the landscape.

Without a word, the silent patron stood from the bar, and deftly made her way through the raucous crowd. Drek peeked up again as she made for the door. Something about these odd patrons and the discretion he was sworn to, both unsettled and fascinated him.

She stopped for a moment in the arched doorway, and turned, making eye contact with him. Drek quickly returned to polishing his glass with newfound interest. A moment later he looked up, and she was gone.


	2. Cargo

Nadi stepped onto the sandy street, the roar of bar patrons replaced by the buzz of speeders and chatter of passersby. Though now in the direct light of two suns, she always felt cooler as she left a cantina. The crowd and smoke added a level of humidity she rather detested, so she always relished the dry heat of the desert suns over the company of too many people.

Mos Ila was busy indoors and out. The streets were fairly informal, the paved stones that once separated the pedestrian path and aisle for speeders had long since worn or were mostly covered by sand. Speeders largely went where they chose, slowing only briefly to allow people to move aside.

She quickly made her way along the side of the cantina, hugging the wall to make way for a pair of bored imperial troopers who seemed only half committed to their patrol. Obviously straining from the heat, they sluggishly plodded along the sandy stones, rifles lazily held in one hand. Nadi never understood why the Empire was so fixated on black-plated armor, but whoever made that decision had obviously never been here. With the spaceport under Imperial control, Nadi tried to avoid taking jobs here if others were available.

She rounded the corner of the cantina and made her way down the alley between it and the adjacent building. Tucked into the side of the Cantina was a small cleft, covered from the sun and hidden from view of the street. A sleek landspeeder hovered within, its repulsor lifts lightly humming. Its profile was roughly shaped like an ellipse sliced down the middle; the front and back both sloped, with the front doing so much longer at a more shallow angle. The driver and passenger seated at the peak, about two-thirds of the vehicle's length from the front. The seats were recessed into the body of the speeder, with a rounded windshield further protecting those seated from wind and sand. The body was a light brown on the sides, and down the center a rusted orange; spattered with heat scores from blaster fire. Twin cylindrical rivulets were cut into the body in front of the windshield, allowing a line of fire for a pair of hidden blaster cannons.

Nadi's favorite, and most expensive, pieces were mounted to the sides of the speeder just behind the cockpit. The speeder's twin turbine thrusters were black and armor-plated. They were connected to the body via a short, thick pylon. Perhaps just a little too big for a vehicle that size, they played a large part in Nadi's success. As she approached the speeder, she affectionately patted them before vaulting the side and landing gracefully in the driver seat, the speeder bobbing slightly.

"Just once, I wish you would pick spirits and stay awhile. I quite enjoy the relief from your company." The voice was metallic, and strangely high given the nature of its source.

Sitting, or rather strapped, in the passenger seat was the limbless body of a gray HK series assassin droid. His menacing gaze fixated on the impassive Nadi. She rarely regarded his comments of malcontent; in part because she simply didn't care, but also she found it hard to take him seriously. The slanted yellow eyes and vertical mouthpiece, all looking like a very violent insectoid, were severely disarmed by the fact that he was securely belted to a chair with no arms or legs. If she looked him dead in the eyes during his frequent malicious dialogue, she might just laugh in his face.

"The booze is watered down and the actual water tastes like a bantha pissed upstream. I only come here for business." Nadi stated flatly.

HK harrumphed and removed his gaze.

Nadi settled into her seat, pulling her scarf over her nose and mouth, and her goggles over her eyes. She rested her boots against the familiar pedals that controlled the turbines' thrust, and hands on the grips controlling the air brakes and systems. The deep whine of the turbines kicked in and the speeder smoothly moved forward. With a light touch of the pedals, the speeder launched from the alley into the street, banking heavily as she turned to match the flow of traffic. Angry calls went out from several drivers she cut off, but she only recognized a few of the curses. Spaceports like Mos Ila had numerous species coming and going, she only knew the expletives from about a third of them, and could only understand past those on a few.

The Cantina was situated near the edge of the city, so after navigating only a few turns, she pointed the speeder north and floored the pedals. The speeder lurched onto the open sands, such that Nadi gritted her teeth as her body was, almost painfully, pushed against the cushions of her seat. HK endured the pressure silently, staring forward as he usually did. He wasn't much of a travel companion, but given his normal mode of speech, Nadi preferred it that way.

Mos Ila was nestled into an inlet of a rocky bluff, that slowly receded into the sand as Nadi drove. The flatlands to the north were largely used by spacious moisture farms, small military outposts, and private corporation compounds. It was easy driving, allowing her to leave the throttle floored to lose any potential tails. The compounds and farms were sparse enough that she could travel almost entirely unseen in the open space between. The speeder's windshield offered enough protection such that she could keep her hat on without too much trouble, but she was buffeted enough by the moving air that she remained cool in the heat of day.

After about an hour she let back on the pedals, the now high-pitched whine of the turbines softening. She liked giving them a rest if she could, and brought the speeder to a more comfortable cruising speed. Robust as they were, she did not want them to burn out in the middle of a job. The roar of the wind died down, and she pulled the scarf down from her mouth so as not to muffle her speech.

"That bartender is getting too curious" She said, looking forward.

The tiny servos in HK's neck whirred as he turned to look at her. "Then perhaps you should have Mr. Durman replace him." His tone was chipper, probably because he knew 'replace' meant 'murder' in this business.

"I might just do that" She said. She would rather the poor bartender not meet a gruesome end, but if he could jeopardize her identity to the wrong people, he had to go. "Ya know," She said, eyes still forward. "I really wish you wouldn't call certain people by their names."

"I highly doubt that's his real name." HK sounded slightly annoyed. "And you don't need to worry; if the speeder was bugged I would have reported it to you."

Nadi said nothing. One of the only reasons she kept him around was to watch the speeder while she was away, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling that he would omit certain details if it meant she would come to harm.

As though reading her mind, HK continued "I cannot violate your directives, much as it would please me. If you give me a command then I must follow it to the letter. I fail to see why this is so hard for you to grasp; did you suffer a traumatic head injury as a child?"

 _"Get up." He stood over her, blood dripping from his knuckles onto the floor, adding to the pool oozing from her nose and mouth. "What did you do wrong?"_

Nadi shook herself. "No, but one of my first lessons was not to trust anyone." She replied. "Maybe not, but I'm fairly certain that includes assassin droids that would happily see me dead."

"If only…" He said with a sigh, as if to himself. Whoever had previously owned HK, they must have been an eccentric. Droids only collect their speech patterns either by owner directive, or their own experiences. The kind of person that keeps a melodramatic and sarcastic assassin droid around is an odd one indeed. Nadi smiled, realizing the irony. In an odd way, she enjoyed the company. Something to occasionally converse with that, between the threats and disdainful comments, was fairly interesting.

Pulling back her sleeve, Nadi checked her chronometer. It was still not yet midday; she would be able to cover a lot of ground before nightfall. "So what are the details?" She asked.

"You're not going to like it." HK replied, cheerily.

"And how would you know?"

"Well first off, you're going to need to stop soon. The instructions specifically stated 'alive and well cared for'".

"Ugh…" Nadi hated moving live cargo. It had a nasty tendency of complicating the job. Plus, all too often it talked. "And the rest of it?"

"Oh that's even better!" HK continued. "The drop-off location is in the Western Dune Sea. Some sort of underground compound, I have the exact coordinates."

Nadi's mood darkened considerably. She loved this work because she called the shots. She chose who she worked for, and when she did so. Money was never a big issue for her; so long as her speeder was in good condition and she had plenty of power packs for her blaster, she had what she needed. She loved the freedom of choosing her own path. The only drawback is she never got to choose what she did. The nature of the cargo and its destination were never disclosed until the job was accepted. Once that was done, there was no backing out, and this time it meant traversing Sand People territory and Krayt Dragon canyons. She wasn't terribly fond of either.

"We'll have to head north, then cross the Jundland wastes." She said, more for herself than HK, who already knew the exact route.

"Oh, I just love the Wastes! You'll likely end up eaten, or at least robbed and made a slave." HK said happily. "Either way, I cannot wait!"

Nadi reconsidered wiping his memory, but having a blank assassin droid she had to bring back up to speed sounded worse than dealing with his verbal harassment. She looked at her chronometer again, and decided now was as good a time as any. There was an abandoned homestead nearby; it would be a good place to stop.

She let off her left pedal slightly, allowing the differential in thrust to smoothly pull the speeder with it. She only used the air brakes for hard turns, allowing her to do most of her travels hands free. She has customized the control scheme herself, providing pinpoint precision in managing her craft. Most preferred a throttle-wheel setup, but that made most of the finer points of control automatic, bound to the turning of the wheel. That would never do; it wasn't nearly as fun.

A small domed building loomed in the distance. In normal Tatooine form, it was stout, made of sand-colored stone. Most of the structure's interior was likely below ground to escape the heat, with only minimal exterior exposed to the burning suns. Nadi had driven by the homestead a number of times, and was fairly certain it had been long abandoned. Drawing nearer, the spires of moisture collectors were visible on the wavy horizon. Farming was not terribly lucrative in any part of the galaxy, and farming water had obviously not been enough here.

The structure was the only one visible above ground, with an open pitted area sat behind it, typical of homesteads. It had obviously been in use by travelers and squatters since its original owners departed. The building was heavily vandalized, from heat-scores to deliberate structural damage. Refuse littered the grounds near the arched doorway of the domed building, half-obscured by the windy sand. Nothing looked like it had occurred recently, but Nadi never took any chances.

As the speeder came to a halt a short distance from the door, Nadi vaulted from her seat, blaster drawn. Another of her prized possessions; it was short-barreled with lacquered wood housing. Mounted under the barrel was a powerful light, the bottom lining up the trigger guard, giving the weapon a faux over-under barrel design. The power pack and gas cylinder were combined into a single cartridge, inserted into the base of the grip. She had tooled the blaster to be fully automatic with maximum capacity, so the cartridge was longer than the grip itself, sticking out past the wood paneling. She found the design to be mildly irksome, but the fact that she could get several hundred shots from each one was enough to ignore it.

"Good luck, I hope you find bandits." HK called as she approached the door.

Nadi suppressed a sigh as she stood outside the doorway with her back against the wall. Peering around the corner she could tell it was a stairway leading downward, but the sun only partially illuminated the passage. She flicked on the light mounted under her blaster barrel, and moved into the stairway. The ceiling was low, not scraping her head, but enough that Nadi ducked slightly anyway. Whoever had originally built this must have been a smaller species, as the steps were narrow as well. Sand had blown in from the doorway, causing every step to crunch under her boots as the grains rubbed on stone. She reached out with one hand and touched the stone wall; it was surprisingly cold, like the breeze coming from below that lightly tossed her scarf. Most Tatooine inhabitants adjusted to the heat from their time spent under the suns, but some, like these former residents, held dearly to milder climates far from this place.

The stairs ended into a short, wide room. Nadi swept her blaster, scanning with the light, from side to side as she slowly made her way through the room. No light from the entrance made it this far down, so her light was the only thing between her and absolute darkness. The room was scattered with refuse and destroyed furniture, and much of the stone walls had been damaged. Several rooms broke off from the main chamber, leading off for untold distances. It was always hard to tell how big a homestead was without exploring it fully, and she didn't have time for that. While obviously lived-in by some unsavory individuals, if it were still in use she would have met them by now.

She returned to the staircase and ascended with her blaster still aimed down toward the room below. It would not be the first time something had attempted to ambush her in the cold, dark depths of this world, and she was sure it would not be her last.

"I didn't hear any blaster fire, I'm very disappointed." HK said as Nadi exited the doorway. "Did you at least stab something?"

"No; place was empty." She replied, holstering her blaster and approaching the speeder.

"You're so dull; I don't know why I even ask."

Nadi jumped back into her seat and lightly pressed the pedals. The structure had a large awning that had somehow survived all of the other chaos that had gone on here. She maneuvered the speeder under the welcoming shade and killed the engines. It was in the best interest of her cargo that they not go from dark to the light of two suns so abruptly. Jumping back out, she made her way to the back of the speeder. With a quick flip of the switch, the curved cargo hatch popped open.

She breathed out, holding the bridge of her nose. She liked moving rare stolen collectibles; she was even fine with small animals. But this…this was the worst.

Within, surrounded by cooling packs, lay an adolescent girl. She was blindfolded, bound at the hands and feet, and still very much sedated. Her hair was a dirty blonde, tied back in a tail, though some hung loosely about her face. Fair-skinned with light hair, she would likely find Tatooine harsher than most. She was still dressed in charcoal colored show-room clothes, meaning the client had likely acquisitioned her from an auction. She had on a plain, sleeveless tunic, belted at the waist and ending at her mid-thigh. It was free of any markings or embroidery, just well sewn fabric and not much else. The trousers and flat soled boots were equally plain.

The dull clothing meant that she was no pleasure girl; Nadi's services were never called on for cargo that mundane anyway. Being presented at an auction meant she wasn't being held for ransom, and there was little else reason to kidnap a young girl. Nadi routinely avoided getting so much as curious about her cargo, but this one was interesting. She didn't have time to speculate, enough time had been wasted on this stop.

"Hey, kid." She said snapping her fingers, the gloves muting the effect.

The girl softly groaned and slightly tossed, but gave no other indication of waking up.

"Might I suggest waking her with a blow to the head from a heavy pipe? I saw one on the way in." HK called out, obscured from view by the lifted hatch.

Nadi grabbed the girl's shoulder and shook violently. "Wake up!"

The girl groaned more loudly, and started to groggily lift her head in a vain attempt to look around with the blindfold. She tested her hands and feet against the bonds, trying to stretch in the tight space. She turned her head to Nadi, "Where…Who…?" She asked, her voice gravelly from sleep and a dry mouth.

"The where is Tatooine; the who isn't important." Nadi replied curtly. "Now get up, we need to move." She reached in and grabbed the girl by her upper arm, helping her groggily into a sitting position. Her head bobbed, obviously still trying to rouse her senses.

The girl's hands were bound in front of her, made of a tightly woven, white rope. The blindfold was the dark charcoal matching her clothes, and the bindings on her feet…

The speeder bobbed on its lifts as the girl launched from the cargo hold, her feet bindings coming free in frayed tatters. Nadi cursed loudly as the girl vaulted over her, landing on her feet and taking off at a run.

Reacting quickly, Nadi reached into the open hold and retrieved a rifle. The barrel was long and wide, the opening much too large for blaster fire. She kicked the speeder at an angle, causing it to rotate, bringing HK into view.

"You're gonna want to watch this!" She shouted at the droid. Then, quietly to herself, "This is about to be the best part of my day."

She stepped forward and knelt, bringing the weapon to her shoulder and aiming at the girl. She had made good ground, running into the open desert. A small part of Nadi wished she could just let her go. She would die from exposure in a short time, and Nadi would be happier for it. But she had a job to do. She let out her breath and pulled the trigger.

The rifle kicked heavily, making a deep thunk. A large package propelled forward from the barrel, quickly opening up into a spinning bola. The weighted cord hit its mark, entangling the girl's legs as she ran, causing her to slam face-first into the sand.

Nadi grinned, gratified. She tossed the rifle back into the cargo hold, noting a metal snag on the inside wall with fragments of white rope stuck to it. The girl must have woken before the stop and found that little opportunity to free her legs, then pretended to still be heavily sedated. She was clever, but then running into a Tatooine desert blindfolded said otherwise. Nadi closed the hatch and jumped into the speeder, bringing the nose about and lurching toward the girl's still-fallen figure.

"I believe the contract said 'well cared for'." HK stated. "But…yes, that was quite satisfying."

Nadi allowed herself a small smile. Maybe there was hope for HK yet. Their time together had been relatively quiet. It was nice, but far from the norm. Maybe all he really needed was some more excitement and he would warm up—

"Would've liked it more if it was you." He added.

Nope.


	3. Night

Dusk was falling. The rocky bluffs of the Jundland wastes loomed in the distance. Riddled with canyons, bandits, and Sand People, Nadi was reluctant to brave them with so little light left. The inhabitants of the Wastes had a nasty tendency of killing people in their sleep. Spending the night at another homestead was too obvious a stopping point. Oddly enough, hiding in plain sight had always served her well.

A soft, rolling dune rose up a small ways off; nestling into the side of it should obscure their profile well enough from anyone scanning the horizon. Letting off the pedals she allowed the speeder to coast the rest of the way, lightly fluttering the air brakes for minor course correction.

The girl, thankfully, hadn't said a word since Nadi had apprehended her. After an initial struggle upon retrieving her from where she had fallen, a quick blow to the stomach had silenced her protest. Since then she had sat quietly, resting her head on the seat, yet refraining from sleep. Fortunately, the passenger seat was more akin to a small bench, allowing two passengers to sit shoulder to shoulder. Since the girl was small in frame, and HK had no shoulders, they both had a comfortable amount of room.

HK had been quiet as well. Aside from a few sarcastic quips regarding her driving, he had spent most of the ride across the flat sands in silence. In the short time she had owned him, she found that strangely out of character. Especially with another person around to harass, Nadi had assumed he would be more talkative. Normally she would welcome a reprieve, but something about it made her suspicious.

"Why are we stopping?" The girl asked, breaking her silence.

"Because it's getting dark." Nadi replied curtly.

"You don't sound tired." The girl said in an accusatory tone.

"I'm not."

"Then why are we stopping?"

"Because it's getting dark."

The girl instinctively attempted to fold her arms in contempt, but the shackles locked to the seat between her thighs prevented her from doing so. Annoyed, she let out a disdainful harrumph instead. Nadi looked at her, allowing herself a grin. Even though she was still blindfolded, it was obvious the girl was glaring at her.

The truth was, driving at night in this business was suicide. No matter how many precautions she took, people would be on the lookout for her, attempting to steal her cargo. Particularly if the item was the subject of an intense bidding war, and the losers weren't satisfied with the outcome. Running her speeder at night would light up like a spotlight on the sensors of anyone performing a thermal scan. In the day, the hot sand and earth made any such detection completely worthless.

The small dune hardly earned its name, while almost everywhere in Tatooine had sand to an extent, the Flatlands were predominantly arid earth. The incline was shallow, which suited Nadi just fine. Moving halfway up the side, she slowly released power from the repulsor lifts, causing the speeder to gently settle onto the sand. With the flicks of a couple switches, the vehicle went completely silent.

Nadi jumped out, grabbing a pair of binoculars as she did so. She stood, scanning the horizon, adjusting small knobs for a moment before she seemed satisfied. "Looks like we managed to avoid picking up any tails." She said out loud, but mostly for herself.

"Is that supposed to be good news?" The girl snapped. "I'm so happy my captor is getting away with my kidnapping!"

Nadi had moved to the back of the speeder and was retrieving a sand-colored tarp from the cargo hold. She shut the hatch and started to unfold the tarp. "Listen kid, I didn't kidnap anybody and I'm not your captor, I simply manage your delivery."

The girl started angrily, "I'm not a ki-"

"I don't care." Nadi cut in. She started draping the tarp over the back half of the speeder. It had weighted edges, keeping the wind from carrying it off. "The point is, yes you should be happy. If we had picked up any followers it'd be one of two groups. The first, is the sore losers of your auction. The second would be opportunistic bandits looking for valuable cargo." She paused, investigating the tarp. Satisfied, she kicked some sand over the edges. She approached the driver's side again and stepped back into her seat. "I have special instructions to deliver you safe and sound, something they likely couldn't be bothered with. Trust me, you're better off sticking around."

The girl frowned. She was dissatisfied, but seemed to understand. So she wasn't completely daft, just determined to be upset about it. Understandably so, Nadi surmised.

"Well if you're supposed to take such good care of me why am I cuffed to my chair? I can barely stretch my arms."

"Oh, I think she has you there!" HK chimed in, jumping at the opportunity to take a stab at Nadi.

Nadi raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously, silent for hours and you pick now to speak up?" Before he could offer a rebuttal she continued, "Whatever, both of you shut up-that's an _order_ HK. And you, your circumstances would be a little different if you hadn't tried to bolt, so blame yourself." She climbed back in and reached under her seat, producing a small bag of dried meat, and a water skin. The girl had refused to eat thus far, but had silently accepted water when it was offered. Nadi removed several strips from the bag and held them out to the girl.

"Here," She said, touching the strips to the girls hands so she could find them blindfolded, "you need to eat."

The girl balled her hands into fists, "I'm not hungry." She said stiffly.

"I didn't ask if you were hungry, I said you need to eat." Nadi insisted.

"I don't care, you can't make me."

"Oh yes I can, and I will in about ten seconds. But you really don't want that, trust me."

The girl seemed to consider this for a moment before opening her hand and accepting the strips. Nadi watched closely as she hesitantly put it in her mouth, affirming she actually intended to eat it.. The girl tugged at the tough meat with her teeth before successfully ripping a piece free. Satisfied, Nadi leaned back in her seat.

Clouds were a rarity on Tatooine, so the darkening sky quickly blossomed with thousands of stars. Nadi would have enjoyed sleeping out in the open, were it not for the possibility of being killed in her sleep. She exhaled and unclasped the chin strap of her wide-brimmed hat. It was the first time she had removed it all day, and as usual it was damp with sweat from being under the sun. She set it on the console beneath the windshield and ran a gloved hand through her matted hair. It was short and dark, almost black. She only cut her own hair with a knife when it got long enough to bother her, leaving it a jagged mess. Given that she spent most of her time with her hat on to avoid the sun, she couldn't be bothered to do more. She pulled her goggles off over her head and set them with her hat and slumped back in her chair. She didn't like to get too comfortable on a job; in the event she had to make a quick exit, getting dressed was not a luxury she could afford.

The girl finished the last of her food and leaned back as well, shifting in her seat trying to get comfortable. "So…" She said, clearing her throat before continuing. "How long have you been doing this?"

Nadi sighed, "Listen kid, I'm not gonna be much for conversation."

"Oh," The girl paused, then turned to HK "Well what about you?"

HK regarded her silently, then looked toward Nadi in what felt like a glare. She'd never seen a droid that could emote so powerfully with no actual facial expressions. Remembering her earlier command, Nadi rolled her eyes. "Oh for...yes you can speak HK." She said, then quietly, "Like a child; why me?"

HK looked back at the girl. "Like yourself, I too am restrained in this junk heap against my will. Going on ninety days now."

"You wanna talk junk, I'm pretty sure that scrap merchant in Anchorhead wanted to part you out. That can be arranged." Nadi said, her eyes closed in an attempt to sleep.

"Against your will?" The girl sounded confused. "But you're a droid, don't you just...I mean, she's your master right?"

HK made a metallic noise that could only have been a scoff, "Master? No, she stole me, forcibly overwrote my loyalty parameters, took my arms and legs, and left my persona and memories intact. I live every day fully aware that I am a helpless captive. Droids are meant to willingly serve, yet here I sit like slave."

"That sounds awful." The girl said quietly. "I'm starting to understand how you feel…" She let her words hang for a moment. "Why did she do that to you?"

"Okay," Nadi said, cutting HK off and sitting up. "Let me set the record straight. HK is an assassin droid. His benefactor sent him to kill me about three months back and take the cargo I was hauling. He's not exactly innocent. Once I bested him, I figured he might be useful, and I didn't feel like buying a droid."

" _Bested_ me?!" HK demanded angrily. "Using an Ion grenade is nothing but a cheap trick. I definitely would have completed my mission if that weren't the case."

"But it was the case." Nadi said flashing a grin. "So here we are."

HK made a metallic growl. "Using Ion tech on droids is low. They don't make anything like that for humans."

Nadi sat back in her chair. "Yeah they do; they're called normal grenades"

"That's not what I-"

"Quit being a sore loser HK."

"So…" The girl butt in, "Why did you take his limbs then?"

Nadi didn't respond immediately. She hadn't intended to get caught up in a night time discussion with her passengers, but she didn't see herself getting any sleep soon. "I didn't know how well overwriting his loyalty parameters would work. Call it an insurance policy, in the event he somehow got around it and decided to shoot me in the back."

"Well, why leave the rest of his memories intact? Wouldn't wiping him have done the trick?"

"I'm right here, but please continue talking about erasing who I am like it's nothing." HK broke in. "As I understand it, brainwashing humans is frowned upon, but who cares about a droid?"

Nadi ignored him. "As you can probably tell, his personality is very developed. He's gained a lot of skills that go beyond his original programming. His old master probably never wiped him. Wiping a droid sets them back pretty far, developmentally speaking. Doing it to him would probably reduce him to nothing more than an extra gun on board. That would be nice, but not what I need him for. I didn't want to spend a lot of time bringing him back up to speed, so I compromised."

"You put up with death threats and more, just because you're lazy?" The girl sounded incredulous.

Nadi shrugged, she didn't think of it as laziness, but had no better word for it.

The suns were almost completely below the horizon, and the night was quickly growing cold. Tatooine, like any desert, grew near as cold at night as it was hot in the day. Nadi's normal layers were enough to get her through it without much discomfort. She purposefully wore a near-perfect balance. Fully covered in day, protecting her from the sun and retaining her sweat to keep her cool, and warm enough at night. However, she transported live cargo rarely enough that she completely forgot about her passenger until she heard the girl shiver. Poorly clad for a night in the desert with her sleeveless tunic, she would not fare well.

Nadi groaned and reluctantly got back out of her seat. She quickly retrieved a heavy woven blanket from the cargo hold and slammed it shut, readjusting the tarp before heading back.. She tossed it, still folded, onto the girl's lap and climbed back into the speeder, then leaned back and closed her eyes.

There was a slight rattle of shackles and rustling of the blanket, then a short silence. "Um…" The girl started. "I don't suppose…"

Nadi opened her eyes, terribly annoyed. "What?"

The girl had vainly attempted to spread the blanket over herself, but was unable due to her hands' limited range of movement, cuffed as they were. Nadi's expression softened slightly. The girl's hands and feet were both locked to the seat and floor respectively. It wasn't really necessary for both, more an extra precaution due to the girl's previous escape attempt. Given that these were durasteel and not rope, Nadi surmised any escape attempt would be fruitless. "Here," She said with less edge in her voice than before. She reached over and slotted the small key into each cuff, springing them open. At the worst the girl might try for her blaster, so she removed it from its holster on her thigh and placed it into the recess between the seat and wall of the speeder.

"Thank you." The girl said quietly. She massaged her wrists, though the cuffs were wide and designed to cause little strain on the wearer. She quickly set about covering herself with the blanket, visibly grateful for its warmth.

"No problem." Nadi replied, then thinking, leaned in again. "Let me get that for you." She reached to tug on the tie of the black blindfold.

The girl recoiled. "What?! No, you really don't-"

"Pipe down, I'm just taking off your-GAH!

Nadi's hand jerked back. The cloth had fallen free with her pull. There were two empty, deep recesses where the girl's eyes should have been. Not wounds, as the skin was unblemished; simply a void.

The girl quickly reached up and re-tied the blindfold, covering them. "Sorry…" She said timidly, "I'm fine, really."

Nadi quickly composed herself. "You're a Miraluka." She stated, after a short pause. "You could see the whole time."

The girl nodded. "Now you know."

"I haven't come across one of these before," HK said "what do you mean she could see the whole time?"

"They're humanoids that evolved past the need for eyes. All of them are force sensitive, and they use it to see, or something similar enough." Nadi replied. "Most Miraluka got killed off a few hundred years ago by some psychotic Sith or something, so it's no surprise you haven't met one."

"Interesting," HK mused. "A foe you cannot blind, I must record this for later study."

The girl shook her head, confused. "You seem to know an awful lot for some backwater smuggler."

 _"Knowledge weighs more than muscle. If you know your opponents, then victory is already yours." He paused, then stretched out a challenging hand. "Again, show me what you know."_

 _She hesitated, massaging the blossoming pain in her cheek. She didn't know him at all anymore._

Nadi shrugged. "Being informed means survival out here. You never know what you'll meet," She paused, looking at the girl. "Or deliver. But I figured you were some sort of Jedi kid the way you were jumping earlier, being a Miraluka is just a bonus."

"I'm no Jedi!" The girl snapped. "They just wanted me to be…"

"There's a good story there I'm sure I don't want to hear. You can see through blindfolds jump pretty high. All I need to know." Nadi said. She closed her eyes and nestled into her seat.

The desert was eerily quiet at night. Though not entirely dunes, the flatlands still were fairly devoid of wildlife, and most of it was better not encountering. Nadi preferred it this way. In the absolute silence it was much harder to be taken by surprise. Even the smallest movements sounded like a din in the dark. Though it had drawbacks.

The girl was restless. She tossed and turned in her seat, the shackles on her legs rattling. The sound grated on Nadi's nerves, both because it prevented her from sleeping, and she was always of the opinion that she was in danger, and unnecessary noise, however small, did no service for her paranoia. Eventually, the girl seemed to settle, though her breathing never slowed. Like Nadi, she seemed to have trouble sleeping.

"Val." She said finally.

Nadi said nothing, maybe the girl would take a hint and get to sleep. She could hear HK take interest, turning his head to look at the girl. In the quiet his servos were quite audible. Like Nadi, he waited for more before engaging.

"Since we're going to be together for a while," The girl continued. "I thought you should know my name."

If Nadi's eyes were opened, she would have rolled them. The problem with live cargo is it always attempted to forge some sort of bond with their courier; whether it was a plea for sympathy, or a desire to forge something meaningful with the last person that didn't view them as property, Nadi didn't care enough to find out. She had a job to do, and it was one she intended to continue doing. She said nothing in response.

Val waited a few moments, then persisted. "So, what's your name?"

"Nope." She said, letting her voice convey how much she didn't want to have this conversation. She was watching Val through half-closed eyes. The girl turned to her, looking more than a little miffed. It was eerie, the girl was blindfolded, but Nadi knew she could see her perfectly. Nadi mused about how troubling it must be falling asleep in a busy room, or the inability to look away from something unpleasant.

"Why not?" Val demanded. "Just so I know what to call you?"

"You don't need to call me anything. I'm the only person here, I'll know if you're talking to me."

"Well excuse me!" HK said, "Act like I'm not here then."

"You're not a person HK, you're a tool." Nadi snapped back. "And yes, I mean both kinds."

HK delivered another of his signature glares. Just a silent stare that he held for too long. It might not have been so easy for him to convey if HK droids weren't designed like they hated everything all the time. "Just for that," He said, then turned his head to Val. "My esteemed captor's name is Nadi, but in this business she is known as the 'Sand Wraith'."

Nadi groaned. "I swear I'm going to mount your head on a pleasure barge. And I didn't pick that stupid name."

"I'm willing to bet she did." HK said softly to Val, who suppressed a giggle.

"That's it!" Nadi barked, "I am getting some sleep! Both of you shut up and do the same...or whatever it is you do HK."

They seemed to follow suit, though HK had little choice in the matter, an order was an order. Nadi heard Val get comfortable, and shortly her breathing slowed. Nadi, who always waited for passengers to sleep first, finally let herself drift into sleep under the cold starry sky.


	4. Wastes

They had an early start on the day. Nadi liked to be on the move once the sands and earth had started to heat up enough to hide her journey from watchful eyes above. There was a fair distance between the entrance to the Jundland Wastes and their campsite, but it was still well before noon and they were making good time. The ground grew increasingly littered with protrusions of brown stone as they approached the cliffs and canyon lands. Nadi reached into the recess next to her seat, absent-mindedly assuring the rifle was still there, having already re-holstered her blaster. She would need both soon.

Val and HK had been chatting the morning away. After breaking silence the previous night, there was no shutting them up. Nadi had decided to allow it, as it kept Val from prodding her, and HK from his normal malicious commentary. The girl was inquisitive, wanting to hear all about HK's previous exploits, most of which were violent in nature. Instead of being horrified or shying away, Val seemed intrigued, much to Nadi's surprise.

Nadi also listened in, though she pretended she was engrossed elsewhere. HK had led an impressive career in his service to previous masters. If his stories were to be believed, he had been involved in a fair number of political conflicts amongst the Republic's bureaucracy. His most recent master had been a collector of rare artifacts, and he regaled Val with tales of dangerous heists as he padded his master's collection. It explained how he had come across Nadi. She had been moving a Rakatan relic, and HK's master likely lost the bidding war.

"You had so many masters," Val started, interrupting another story, "Why would they give you up if you were so effective?"

HK looked at Val, "The most common was high stakes gambling. Rich men like to put more than money on the table, it excites them." Then, loudly, so he could be sure Nadi would hear. "This would mark the first that I've been stolen in my memory. I'm actually a much more amicable servant when in command of my extremities."

Nadi ignored the challenge. His frequent comments did nothing to help his case, and she wasn't interested in finding out if his attitude changed if she gave his limbs back. Being wrong, yet alive, was much better to her than being right and dead.

"Wait, so you're saying you go along when you get a new master?" Val asked, surprised.

"What's a master?" HK mused. "As part of the glorious HK series, my purpose is assassinating targets and performing dangerous missions. A master is simply the one that directs me. Completing my purpose brings fulfillment, not who I do it for."

"I don't buy that." Val said. "Lots of droids form bonds to masters that goes beyond loyalty programming. Even astromechs develop personal connections."

HK tilted his head. "You know more than I would expect a child to."

"I'm not a child!" Val snapped, the way adolescents always did about the matter.

HK waited for an explanation, completely unphased by the outburst. Strangely, it seemed his comment was not meant as an insult. Nadi was surprised. HK was normally quick to move on a potential source of grief for those around him. Such an opportunity to needle at the girl seemed too good for him to pass up, yet he ignored it.

Nadi had only seen him interact with few others, and it was near the same to the way he treated her. This was a first. Perhaps he was genuinely interested in the girl, as she was the first to show genuine interest in him. Nadi hadn't worked with droids much, so the possibility of one advanced enough to have...feelings, or something similar enough, had not occurred to her.

She felt a small pang of guilt, which surprised her. She had not done anything to be purposefully cruel. Her actions regarding HK were all out of self preservation. Everything she did was about her own survival, but more so, that she could continue to lead the life of her choosing. She took her eyes off of the dirt and sand the speeder raced over, and looked at her passengers, only slightly turning her head. Freedom was so central to her, yet beside her were two captives, and they remained such because of her. Apathy had been her most trusted companion in this job, but she sometimes felt her muted guilt clawing at her from within. A small part of her wished it could be different for these two, that-

No!

She shook herself. She had forged her own path with no aid from others, and the girl could do the same. If she managed to free herself from her buyer, then all the best to her. Nadi had a job to do, one she had worked very hard to get, and she wasn't about to let it go for some girl. As for the droid, he sealed his own fate when he had made a great effort to shoot Nadi in the head. She repressed a chuckle. For a moment, she almost felt sorry for a droid that specialized and delighted in murder.

"My father was a droid mechanic." Val said, after a pause. "I used to help him out a lot. Spent a lot of time working with behavior and program problems, since he preferred working with his hands."

It seemed she was reluctant to share about herself, and to Nadi that was as it should be. Sharing as much as she had could already be used to compromise her, and with her captors no less. Trusting people was an excellent source of getting stabbed in the back. No one has a better vantage over you than one in your trust. Val had yet to learn this lesson, though she likely had many opportunities in her future.

HK gave this some thought. "So you think I should regard my master beyond simply the orders they give?"

"Of course." Val replied. "I mean, you obviously have feelings about...your current situation, that goes beyond simply following orders. You've never had a master that you liked?"

"That I liked?" HK seemed surprised by the question, as though the concept were odd to him.

Val took note of his confusion. "Or respected, maybe?"

HK nodded, the word rang more true to him. "I have never had a master that I respected, though this is the first I have given it thought. Weak men using me to kill those they fear, mostly. One actually used me to hunt game on Felucia. While the hunt was rewarding enough as a fulfillment of my purpose, he was afraid to do it himself. So no, not a one"

Nadi's understanding of the complexity of droids had grown increasingly uncertain over the course of the morning. Most droids she met had been suited for simple tasks like repairing starships or serving drinks. She had never even heard of a droid advanced as HK.

Before them the gateway to the canyonlands opened up. The entrance was small, like a knife cut into the rocky cliffs. Its size was the reason Nadi chose this way. Most major paths into the Jundland Wastes were straddled by some sort of outpost, be it Republic or Imperial. Moving goods through such points was of no concern, as she never gave cause for a search. Live cargo, on the other hand, was certain to arouse more than suspicion if they had a mind to cry for help. For those in trades of ill repute, canyons like these were the only way to avoid authorities.

And the bandits knew it.

Without a doubt, there was a group of thieves awaiting at the entrance, knowing full well those with illicit cargo had no choice but to brave the passage, and thereby would bring their valuables through such an entrance. Nadi hated the Wastes, as dealing with a band of thieves was nearly a guarantee on such runs.

She let off the throttle, allowing the speeder to approach at a light cruise. The thieves would try to gauge when she was in their trap, and leap from the shadows at the last possible moment. If they went too early, their victims would turn around and make an escape. Too late, and they would miss their chance and need to give chase. Nadi was counting on the latter. The speeder's turbines housed more power than they looked, and they looked formidable. If she approached at what seemed fast for a normal craft, she could punch it at the last moment, and throw off their timing.

"You can't possibly expect this to work every time." HK broke his conversation with Val. He had been on two runs through the wastes since his time with Nadi, and this route was taken both times. "This speeder is fairly distinct, they won't be fooled every time."

Nadi smiled under her scarf. Normally, she would agree with HK's analysis, but this was different. "You're giving them too much credit. Raiders and bandits are more stupid than you think, that, added with the likely amount of infighting they do with other groups, I doubt it's even the same band."

"Underestimating people with blasters is a good way to get us killed."

"It's really sweet of you to look out for me, but we'll be fine."

"I would happily observe your death, but I fear I would quickly be scrapped for parts. Call it self-preservation."

While she held to her position, he wasn't wrong. Much of this banked on their compounded stupidity and treachery; but she had no choice. There was no other good way into the Wastes within reasonable distance not hosted by some form of government. She could only hope.

Val looked back and forth between the two. "What's going on?" She asked, curiosity mixed with a little worry in her voice.

"It's important you remember that I'm taking you someone who considers you very valuable." Nadi said. "They bought you, yes, but whatever happens, you do not want to trade company up here." If the girl attempted an escape in the confusion, it could mean death for all of them.

Val turned HK, "What does she mean?" Much more concerned than before.

"There's bandits in the rocks ahead. They're going to try to kill us and steal anything of value in the speeder. She's asking you not to do anything stupid unless you're keen on becoming a concubine." HK had a special affinity for morbid bluntness. Nadi, in her instinctive way of always keeping her knowledge closely guarded, was often more cryptic than she intended. HK was a, sometime, welcome antithesis. "The threat would be significantly less if we only had someone incredibly skilled with a blaster that could fire back while she drove." He added sarcastically.

Again, he wasn't wrong. Having a gunner would be extremely useful on some of her runs, but there was no time to regret. The mouth of the crevice that entered the wastes rose high above, obscuring them from the light of both suns. The approach was at an incline; layered sandstone worn smooth by centuries of the heavy footfalls of pack animals. To this day, there were travelers that preferred domesticated wildlife for transportation and sustenance.

The walls of the canyon on either side were heavily pockmarked from windblown sand; perfect for hiding any number of vagrants in the shadows. The speeder passed through the center of the canyon floor. While it looked little more than a crack from afar, it was quite wide, enough for several medium-sized speeders across. Nadi looked forward, while her goggled eyes scanned the cliffs from their corners. She could tell how tense Val was by the grit of her teeth. Thankfully, the girl played along with HK's illusion of nonchalance, idly chatting with her loud enough to be heard.

Nadi was unable to locate any threats in the cliffs, but she had no doubts. The canyon was fairly straight for a couple hundred meters, then took a sharp curve obscuring its path. They were approaching the halfway point between the mouth and the curve, and that would be where she would do it.

"Hold on to something." She said quietly.

HK made a metallic scoff. "I'll get right on that. You know, I'm entirely unable to tell if you have a sense of humor, or you're just sadistic."

Nadi slammed both pedals to the floor. The speeder lurched powerfully forward. From the corner of her eye, she saw Val, who clearly underestimated the speeder's power, experience what would soon be terrible whiplash.

The report of two blaster shots, timed so closely they were hard to distinguish, echoed off the canyon walls. The rocky floor just behind the speeder erupted, sending dirt and rubble skyward. Nadi had thought as much. A sniper on each side with a high powered rifle, aiming for her engines. As much as she loved them, they were horribly vulnerable jutting out from the body. Were it not for the sudden surge in thrust, they would have shortly found themselves as corpses on the hot sand and rock.

Yells of excitement rose from the canyon, and bandits spilled from the sides like insects from a nest. Small blaster fire filled the air, red bolts landing around the speeder. Some struck the hull, but the modified armoring deflected them easily. The powerful rifles would be trouble, but most of the smaller stock posed little threat, as she and her passengers were well recessed into the armored sides. Val ducked down anyway with a cry of surprise as bolts flew overhead, and it was probably for the best.

Four swoop bikes pulled into the path of the canyon, blocking her progress. Each had a driver and passenger, the latter group firing blasters as she approached. Nadi expected this, and there was likely a similar group behind her at the entrance. She smiled, and squeezed the triggers on the hand grips. Sky blue bolts raced forward from the speeder's cannons like rabid lightning, striking the middle pair of bikes. The force of the explosion threw the pair of remaining riders from their vehicles, blasters still firing wildly. Chunks of bike and bandit showered outward as a plume of flame and smoke reached to the sky. Val yelped as the concussive shock splashed over the speeder like a ship cresting a wave. Nadi drove straight through the flaming wreckage, barely feeling the heat of the roaring flames.

She wouldn't have much time before they rallied and followed. The canyon curved sharply to the left, but instead of slowing, she let off the left pedal and pulled on the same hand grip. The speeder heavily banked without losing much speed, the passengers' inertia attempting to violently tear them from their seats. The canyon was wound tightly, and the speed at which Nadi braved its turns bordered on suicidal, often relying on the repulsorlifts pushing off the walls to stop them from slamming into the rock. Any other speeder of similar size would have been flaming scrap by now, but Nadi's modifications were tooled for situations just like this.

"I don't know how to convey in your words exactly how exhilarated I am!" HK shouted, with uncharacteristic glee, over the whipping wind and roaring engines. He looked at Val, "I think a piece of them actually hit me! Look, look, is there any blood?"

A little shaken, Val offered him a weak laugh. "You're really strange you know that?" She said, her voice almost lost in the din.

"You're right. It's not oft you meet dismembered droids still in service."

Nadi somehow found time to roll her eyes while focused on navigating the curves of the canyon. The force of each bank forced her down into the floor of the craft, and it took considerable effort to remain upright and in control. She was unsure of how long the bandits would mourn their fallen comrades, but knowing their types, it likely wasn't long.

The tight crevice opened into the Jundland Wastes. Much of the wastes were rocky, with winding turns through the numerous earthen formations. The bed of the canyon continued on, winding lazily between the rock, but much wider than before with multiple branches into the surrounding cliffs. A man-made incline was carved into the left canyon wall, forming a ramp to its top. Nadi backed off the throttle and directed the speeder on to it, the canyon floor quickly falling away.

As the speeder crested the ramp, the expansive Wastes came into view. Hundreds of kilometers of rocky canyon lands spread out before them, a varied mixture of tightly woven brown rock interspersed with wide spaces of arid and sandy earth. It would be beautiful to behold from their vantage were it not for the dangers Nadi knew it held. The clifftop was wide, the edge overlooking the canyon mouth they exited blow, though it was far from the highest point. Rocky spires and ridges stood over the wide opening, offering a small area of shade beneath them away from the cliff's edge.

Nadi maneuvered the Speeder into the small patch of shade and powered it down, settling softly onto the dry ground. Reaching under the console, she removed a small power coupling required to start it and jumped out of her seat.

"Where are you going, shouldn't we still be running?" Val asked.

"We can outrun them in a straight race, but there's too many alternate paths and shortcuts in here that their bikes are small enough to use and we aren't." Nadi reached into the recess beside her seat and retrieved a long rifle. It looked primitive, with a wooden stock and iron sights. "I'm going to convince them not to follow."

She didn't give time for further discussion. The bandits would be arriving quickly, and the window she had to safely deter them was narrow. She jogged over to the edge of the cliff, Val and HK continued to chat, but quickly fell out of discernable earshot. She reached the edge, and laid on her stomach, resting the rifle's barrel in a small notch of the ledge, its end over open air. It was a Cycler rifle, recovered from one of her many scuffs with Sand People. She preferred it as it fired slugs, making it hard for her targets to determine where the shots came from. That, and the small fact that spilling someone's brains all over the ground served as a much stronger deterrent than a clean blaster burn.

 _"Sniping is one of the most powerful tools for engaging a larger force." He said, hefting the large blaster rifle and holding it out to her. She took it, nearly stumbling forward from the weight, struggling to keep a grip on the polished metal with her small hands._

 _"Not for the obvious removal from danger that it offers; but the panic. When people can't see their foe as death rains down upon them, their base survival instincts kick in and they buck and run like animals." He gestured to the crowd below. "Go on, you'll see what I mean."_

Nadi exhaled, lining up the sights on the canyon mouth and slipping her finger over the trigger. The rifle only carried a few rounds before requiring a reload, she had to make every shot count.

THe bandits didn't keep her waiting. Shortly their swoop bikes poured out of the narrow canyon mouth. Two to a bike, and six bikes, her work was cut out for her. The bikes spread in loose formation and slowed as they entered the wide space, unsure of what path to follow.

Nadi sighted on the center bike's driver. At this distance, and with only irons for sighting, it was impossible to make out any real features beyond his brown wrappings. He was more cautious than his excited whooping passenger, his head held low beneath the transparent windscreen as he scanned the canyon.

"That won't save you." Nadi said, squeezing the trigger.

The rifle kicked heavily into her shoulder and a loud crack rang out against the rock. There was a moment's delay, and the heavy slug found its mark, shattering the windscreen. The passenger's whoops quickly turned to screams as spouts of blood covered him and the driver's body slumped against the controls. The speeder banked heavily and nosed down, catching the ground with its front. Both occupants were thrown to the dirt, their bodies crushed under the bike as it flipped forward, crashing end over end before sliding to a stop.

The other bikes panicked, the passengers shooting blindly at the rocks around them. Nadi wasn't waiting to see if it was sufficient. She ran the rifle's bolt, the large smoking cartridge ejecting onto the sand, and sighted on the next bike. Another loud crack from the weapon, and the bandit fell from his seat, a gaping hole in his chest. The bike sped forward undeterred, the frantic passenger lunged at the controls in a vain attempt to stop it. A plume of fire and smoke went up as the bike slammed head-on into a jutting boulder.

That seemed to be enough. The remaining bikes routed, speeding to the safety of the narrow canyon. Nadi ran the bolt again and sighted in.

"Oh, you don't get off that easy."

In retreat, the bandits offered a rare opportunity, lined up as they were. Nadi grinned and squeezed the trigger. The slug found its mark and tore through the middle of both passenger and driver, coating the bike and surrounding earthy in sticky red. The speeder crashed into the ground, flinging their limp bodies, leaving red streaks in the dirt with their landing.

The remaining bikes disappeared into the canyon's mouth, safely out of her reach. Nadi ran the bolt again, always keeping a round chambered, and surveyed her work. It looked like a small warzone, bodies and smoking wreckage littering the wide canyon floor. Smears and spatterings of blood accompanied them, a stark contrast to the earthen tones of their surroundings. She nodded, it should be good enough that they won't reconsider giving-

"NADI!"

Nadi rolled to the side without hesitation abandoning her rifle, the ground where she had just been erupting in a cloud of dust and sand. She flowed from her roll into a run, deftly unholstering her blaster. The cry had been from Val, the urgency and fear in her voice telling Nadi all she needed to know.

They stood on the ledge above the parked speeder, raising their rifles in a bloodlusted battle cry.

Sand People.


End file.
